Planning for College

By Roy Liu

What Colleges Look for

• 1. High School GPA (UC’s look at weighted GPA).– Reputation of School and Number of Challenging Courses.

• 2. SAT/AP/other Standardized Tests.

• 3. Extracurricular Activities.

• 4. Personal Essays.

• 5. Recommendation Letters (Private Schools only).

UC BerkeleyCalifornia Residents

Non-Residents International Students

Applicants 36,870 4,703 2,554

Admitted 9,050 949 258

% Admitted 25% 20% 10%

Enrolled 4,028 231 128

SAT Reasoning Test Scores Reading: 590-710Math: 620-750Writing: 590-710

Average Un-weighted GPA 3.82

Average Weighted GPA 4.25

Personal Essays (UC’s)

• Prompt 1: Describe the world you come from- for example, your family, community, or school- and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

• Prompt 2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

• 1000 words total for both essays.

Common App Essays• Long Essay (found in the Common Application's First Year Application):

Candidates must choose 1 topic and respond (not exceeding the space provided, which is approximately the length of 1 page)

• Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

• Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

• Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

• Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

• A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

• Topic of your choice.

Supplemental Essays

• Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

• Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate – and us – know you better.

• Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you?

Extracurriculars

• Sports• Speech and Debate• Volunteering• Internships/Enrichment Programs

* EXTRACURRICULARS ENHANCE THE COLLEGE APPLICATION, BUT DO NOT MAKE UP FOR BAD GRADES, ETC.

Start the Process Early• Plan what types of classes to take in high school

starting freshman year.• Start preparing for the SAT as soon as possible to

enrich skills.• Plan the extracurricular events that interest you,

NOT what you think just looks good on college applications.

• Start the college application essays AS SOON as they become available in the summer. The deadline for UC’s is November 30. For most private schools, the deadline is January 1-3.

SAT I

• 3 sections- Math, Writing, and Critical Reading.• The Math section is very logic-based, not

necessarily equations-oriented.• Memorize vocabulary and practice

comprehension skills.• Practice writing timed 25-minute persuasive

essays, and practice grammar/sentence structure.

SAT II• English• Literature• History• U.S. History, World History• Mathematics• Mathematics Level 1 , Mathematics Level 2• Science• Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics• Languages• Chinese with Listening, French, French with Listening, German,

German with Listening, Spanish, Spanish with Listening, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese with Listening, Korean with Listening

When to Take Standardized Tests

• Start preparation for the SAT Freshman/Sophomore year(s).

• Take SAT II’s after a year of coursework in the class, I.E. after taking the an Honors or AP class in the subject.

• It is recommended to take Math IIC after Math Analysis (Pre-Calculus).

• Take the SAT I no more than twice.• Strive for taking each SAT II only once.